Structures (e.g., industrial plants, manufacturing facilities, refineries, etc.) may be outfitted with wireless sensor networks that may include, for example, a number of wireless nodes (e.g., wireless sensors and/or transmitters, among other nodes). A wireless sensor network may be used to sense (e.g., acquire, detect, and/or measure) a multitude of parameters and/or processes occurring within the structure and wirelessly communicate these parameters to one or more desired locations (e.g., a central computing device).
Wireless communication through the network may allow, for example, workflow facilitation, process streamlining and/or the attainment of manufacturing objectives, among other benefits. Additionally, costs (e.g., time, resource and/or monetary costs) associated with installing and/or maintaining wireless sensor networks may be less than costs associated with installing and/or maintaining traditional wired networks.
Communication between wireless nodes may be subject to a number of limitations. In a structure, communication between wireless nodes may be affected by, for example, interference, noise, dust, radiation and/or structural elements, among other limitations. Deployment (e.g., placement in the structure) of wireless nodes may require attention to these limitations and/or the capabilities of the nodes themselves, among other considerations.
Determining a deployment of wireless nodes in a structure by theoretical site surveying (e.g., wireless surveying) the structure may allow the collection of data relevant to the deployment, but may not provide, for example, visualization (e.g., display) of the actual deployment and/or prediction of the network's behavior after the deployment in the actual structure, among other information.